


Allies

by audriel



Series: KHR AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, KHR AU, KuroDai Weekend 2017, M/M, Mafia AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-01-03 17:32:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12151458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/audriel/pseuds/audriel
Summary: Kurodai Weekend 2017Day 2 | Aug 26: Action(Mafia AU |Undercover Agents AU)





	1. Karasuno

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Glimpse past the Clock](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2649041) by [Ereana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ereana/pseuds/Ereana). 



> Only when I check my Tumblr drafts, I realize I actually have something for Kurodai Weekend. But well, considering how much of a slow writer I am, it’s pretty par for the course for me to late to join the festivities XD. This is actually part of my KHR AU ([part 1](https://audriel.tumblr.com/post/162585284234/khr-x-haikyuu-pt-1) and [part 2](https://audriel.tumblr.com/post/162585322999/khr-x-haikyuu-pt-2)), but can be read separately.

They fall in step with the ease of people who have been fighting with and against each other for years. For they have, Daichi and Kuroo, Karasuno and Nekoma, they were allies before they had allies. Somehow, he has forgotten such a basic, important fact. He has forgotten this one truth, this single certainty in the world of full lies and uncertainty he has come to hold on to in his and his family’s most difficult times.

Nekoma would always stand by Karasuno.

The least he and Karasuno can do is to do the same for Nekoma. But he had let himself be swayed, giving into his doubts just because of some disagreement and misunderstanding that could be easily settled if he was more willing to listen, to  _understand_.

 _He_  is the one to put them in this position, separated from their guardians, fighting for their lives against enemies intent on killing them by using excessive number and force. He was prepared for Kuroo to throw him an I-told-you-so remark and he would not dispute him. But instead, the Nekoma boss simply put his back against him and threw a wall of fire around them to give them time, quiet and focused as his Mist flames surrounded him. He couldn’t help the flutter and the warmth in his chest at the sight despite the guilt and loathing threatening to devour him. He owed the other man and his family more than just an apology. He would make things right between them. He would make sure of it. With that resolution, he fell easily into hyper dying will state, pressing his back against Kuroo and taking a fighting stance. When he snapped his eyes open, Sky flames burned brightly in his eyes and on his hands. Together, back-to-back, the two young leaders took on the overwhelming odds.

Daichi isn’t sure how long they have been fighting and evading their relentless pursuers. It might have been minutes or hours, he cannot tell with how persistent their attackers are. It seems one down only for another to take their place. They have agreed to keep moving and looking to regroup with their guardians. Kuroo managed to contact his guardians, thanks to Nekoma’s new, advanced technology, and decided on a meeting point for them to regroup and get to pickup point. They found out that their guardians had paired off like they did, to their relief, but also had the same problem with they did, unable to shake their attackers off and being kept from getting to the others. Daichi and Kuroo exchanged a grim look at that, realizing how serious and determined their enemies were to take them out of the picture.

Daichi follows Kuroo’s lead as he gets them through the path with the least resistance with the assistance of who is likely Kozume in his ears. The men are easier to handle now they are the ones choosing the place to fight. Somehow each of Karasuno’s guardians gets paired up with Nekoma’s, so neither Suga nor Asahi are flying blind in the chaos. He counts his blessing in this clusterfuck. He is taken out of his musing when he feels his intuition flared up. He avoids a punch to his face and takes out another’s knee under him, but the warning is still there. He spreads out his awareness as he is taught, while his body keeps moving and fighting.

Something… Somewhere… But before he can pinpoint the source of the danger

“Sawamura!”

he finds himself being pushed to the ground, barely catching himself on the hard asphalt at the unexpected force and weight on top of him.

“Kuroo, wha-!” His surprised yell is cut off when he hears the familiar zing of a bullet far too close for comfort and the resulting boom and destruction from where the bullet hits. Daichi lets out a loud curse at the realization that they have a sniper who is a flame user targeting them. He lets out another when his intuition warns him another bullet is coming their way. He pushes against Kuroo, but the other man doesn’t budge despite Daichi having more weight on him.

“ _Move_!” Daichi is prepared to use his flame-enhanced strength, only to freeze when he catches an impossible sight at the corner of his eyes. Kuroo’s eyes are not burning indigo, which is typical of Mist flame. They are burning  _orange,_ which is _not_ typical of Mist flame.

_That’s not possible. There’s only one flame burns that color._

Wide-eyed and breathless with surprise and confusion, he watches in slow motion how those orange– _orange,_ he keeps repeating in his mind, as though it will change _–_ flames gather in the air… and stop the bullet in its tracks and have it returned to where it comes from from one breath to the next. He won’t realize what is happening if he hasn’t been closely paying attention. For all he know, there’s a sudden stop of barrage of bullets. Before he can gather himself, Kuroo pulls him up by the arm, strong and sure, and pushes him in front of him.

“We need to go.” With Kuroo behind him, Daichi cannot see his face. There are so many things he wants to say, but he knows better that this is not the time and place. They are still not out of danger. 

Only now that they are moving again, he realizes that the area they are currently in is surprisingly open with higher ceiling and less obstruction around them. He strongly doubts that Kozume led them to this place without counting on the possibility of a sniper. This means that their enemies are more coordinated than they realize and they should not give them time to spring another trap like before. They skid to a stop when they are close to the meeting point right behind a pillar with good vantage point, not wanting to give away their position and plan in case of watching eyes.

“The others are still on their way.” Kuroo says after they catch their breath. Despite having better stamina than most and having each other to watch their backs, it hasn’t been easy fending off their attackers, especially when they’re trying not to kill them when the other side has no such inhibition. Kuroo doesn’t have such constraint, but he has followed his lead. It is his Mist illusions that make it possible for them to prevent high casualty, but it is also why between the two of them he’s the most drained out of flames. However, when Daichi looks at him, Kuroo is much too pale and clammy for mere exhaustion.

Before Daichi can say anything, his senses catch the familiar presence of Suga and Asahi. At the same time, Kuroo receives the confirmation as he straightens up next to him. In wordless agreement, they break into a run. For a while, they fend off the attacks on their own until soon they are joined by their guardians who immediately flank them as they move out towards the pickup point.

Daichi exchanges relieved gazes with his friends and guardians as they don’t seem to have been injured badly. Suga looks rather winded with only shallow scratches on his body. Asahi is better off but seems worse with the gash on his head, the only injury he can see. He is surprised to find that both of his guardians manage to pair up with Nekoma’s guardian they work best with. Suga with Yaku and Asahi with Kai. Himself with Kuroo. Inwardly he wonders what the chances are for them to end up in advantageous pairing in such commotion. He doesn’t let himself wonder for long, pushing his senses and his flames to the limit as they are now in the open in order for their family to get them.

They don’t need to wait long, two black SUVs zoom into the area in full speed, skidding into a stop with a screech and in a V-formation to give them cover. Tanaka comes out from the car to get them to safety as Yamamoto does the same in the other car. Daichi’s guardians close in on and around him, pushing him into the car before he realizes that he is separated from Kuroo.

“Chikara, _drive_!” Daichi should be worried that Chikara’s the one driving, but instead he feels dread gnawing his insides the moment he lost sight of Kuroo.

“Daichi, what are you doing?” Asahi pulls him back, Daichi doesn’t realize that he has been trying to reach the door until Asahi’s panicked voice break through his stupor.

“Wait,” without preamble Suga takes his jacket off him, hands on his back.

“Suga?!”

“There’s blood on your back.”

“What? How? I’m not injured.” Daichi should have felt it by now if he was. Wordlessly Suga shoves the jacket at him, flipping it over to show a suspicious stain on its back. With trembling fingers he touches the fabric only to find them wet and coated with red.

His mind flashes back to the warmth and weight pressed on his back, keeping him down to the ground. His blood freezes in his veins at the realization.

_Kuroo._


	2. Nekoma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight is not over yet for Nekoma...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** blood, medical inaccuracies, Yaku’s potty mouth, Kuroo’s self-sacrificing ass.

“Kuroo!” Kuroo barely manages to keep himself from groaning in pain when he feels hand pressed against his bleeding chest. He knows his injury is bad and it will be worse if Yaku attempts to heal him. Fortunately his reflexes are still sharp as he manages to seize his Sun guardian’s wrist and stop him from using his flames.

“ _Don’t_.” He can taste blood on his tongue as he rumbles the command. Unsurprisingly he receives the full brunt of Yaku’s fearsome glare at the action.

“What the fuck are you stopping me for?”

“It’s Cloud fragmented bullet.” That stops Yaku cold, his eyes wide with shock and realization. Fragmented bullet is dangerous enough that they shatter upon impact, and most often inside the victim. Cloud-imbued fragmented bullets though, they don’t just shatter, they  _multiply,_ thanks of the flame’s unique propagation properties.

And damned they multiply. Kuroo can testify to that, he’s been feeling the pain since he was hit. At first he could easily ignore it as a prickling sensation in his chest, but eventually it grew into a constant stabbing pain that he finally understood as the fragments further multiplying and embedding themselves in his flesh. Sun flames with their activation properties would only accelerate the process and kill him.

“ _Shit_.” Yaku jerks his hand away from his bleeding wound as though he fears accidentally using his flame. “Kai!” Kai takes Yaku’s place, his face unusually grave as he gently places his hand on his chest and closes his eyes to concentrate better especially with Yaku yelling at Fukunaga to floor it and his quiet and careful guardian, actually  _flooring_  it. He cannot help the twitching of his mouth in amusement at the simultaneous sounds of seat belts clicking. He might be injured but he still has his sense of humor, if anything his ability to find anything amusing gets better the worse the situation gets. It helps to reduce the tension and if it never fails to annoy the hell out of the all too serious people around him, it is a plus.

Kuroo bites back a sigh of relief as he can feel the cool flames finding the fragments one by one, nullifying the Cloud flames and stopping the fragments from further multiplying. It is a delicate and dangerous process, when the Rain flames’ properties are also capable of stopping living cells, but control of their flames is what Nekoma prides themselves in. It is what Nekoma  _excels_ in. He would have tried to help, but it takes all of him to remain still and conscious.

“Kuro.” Kuroo doesn’t realize he has closed his eyes until he blinks his eyes open. Kai still has his eyes closed with a furrow on his brow as he pushes his flames further inside his chest. Yaku has pushed his sleeve up and placed on his arm some sort of device he found in the opened first aid kit. Neither is speaking, focused on whatever they are doing. It is not their voice he is hearing.

“’m here.” His voice has grown weaker, but he is sure that the sensitive piece of tech he is wearing is able to catch it and reassure his best friend and right-hand man as he can hear the underlying worry and fear he catches from that one word.

“Do you know this is going to happen?” Always asking the right questions, Kuroo thinks fondly. He catches how everyone in the car seems to freeze at the question, which means that their exchange is overheard by the others. He doesn’t like to worry his family, but he knows that the last thing they need is to be kept in the dark.

“All I know is-” breathing is getting a bit difficult now, “-that the mafia will fall into chaos… if anything happens to Sawamura.” Karasuno is a tight-knit family, and Daichi is more than just their boss. He is the only reason why Karasuno manages to rein themselves in. Without him, Karasuno will not hesitate to exact revenge to every single person and family involved.

Suga might look like an angel, but he has a vindictive streak, and Azumane doesn’t take any slight towards his family lying down. They have Ukai Jr. but he doubts the advisor will stop them, having no love for the mafia. The mafia needs change, Kuroo doesn’t disagree, but forcing change without proper planning will end in disaster. The Karasuno Daichi aspires to be will be gone. The mafia will change, but not necessarily for the better.

“And nothing will happen if it’s  _you_?“ The low, venomous growl that comes through the earpiece shocks them. Kenma can raise his voice in the rare times he is annoyed, but he is very rarely, if ever,  _truly_  angry.

“…Because I ask you to.“ Even without looking Kuroo knows how his family reacts to his words. He never demands their obedience. He requires little from his family but for few rules they are not allowed to break and have to uphold. He asks less for himself, always for the family. They can refuse his orders for good reason, and they have, but they never turn down his request, when he allows himself to be selfish.

“ _Tetsurou_.” He can count the times Kenma calls him by name, but this is the first he has heard it is spoken with so much emotion. It is as though he is close to tears. The realization hurts much more than the bullet does. He doesn’t intend to die, but he is aware of the possibility. He is prepared for it, and he wants the same for his family.

He breathes in and out, in and out, reaching for the flames within him, its warmth clearing the haze from his mind and muting the pain in his chest.

“We… are blood. We must flow without stopping.”

His vision slowly gets dimmer, and then… darkness.

 

***

 

Yaku doesn’t immediately realize that Kuroo has fallen unconscious, so lost in the comforting and reassuring warmth of his words until the device shrieked in alarm. He should have felt afraid and panicked at the dropping blood pressure, but all he can feel is calm. In the back of his mind, he recognizes this as the effect of Sky flames.

“He’s going into shock. _Status_.” Yaku commands into the earpiece, knowing everyone is listening in. He quickly snatches the oxygen can from the kit and put its mouthpiece over Kuroo’s face.

“We’re coming in hot.” Yamamoto gives the first good news he hears all day. He can see the gates opening ahead, giving them entrance to their safe house. 

“I’ve nullified the last of them.” Kai straightens up, brow decorated with sweat.

“Infirmary fully stocked and ready for surgery. Inuoka and Lev are meeting you in front with the stretcher.” Shibayama reports. Yaku cannot be happier to hear his protégé's voice. He might be the Sun guardian with extensive biological knowledge, Shibayama is still the one with formal medical education. Between the two of them, Kuroo's chances are looking better. Yaku doesn't fail to realize that somehow all of the inner circle manages to come together despite not being in the nearby area. He glances at his leader wondering how much it is Kuroo's foresight and how much it is their family's love and loyalty.

Fukunaga manages a smooth stop. The doors to the backseat opens up to the sight of the tall youngest members with a stretcher between them. In a perfect coordination, they manage to transfer Kuroo smoothly from the car and wheel the stretcher towards the infirmary. All the doors are open to make a clear path, most likely due to Kenma. Under the lights, Kuroo looks much worse with his sickly pallor. Yaku grits his teeth, he is not going to lose his friend, not under his watch.

“Stay outside!“ He barks at the others, stopping them dead in their tracks. Yamamoto has mutinous look on his face, but he stops Lev before the younger can start his tirade, recognizing that they are wasting time by arguing.

“Save him.” Yaku hears the plea loud and clear, bolstering his determination.

“I will.“ In record time, he is already cleaned up and changed into surgical scrubs. The body scan is completed when he enters the sterile room. Yaku can’t hold back the curses when he sees the extent of the damage, not only the bullet shards managed to scatter and multiply, they also manage to burrow into important organs and veins. Kuroo must have been in extreme pain and blood loss, but he managed to remain calm and conscious throughout.

 _Always this kind my ass._ That joke has stopped being funny the moment Yaku knew the Nekoma leader better. It has stopped being funny the moment he realized that Kuroo doesn’t believe that he is capable of being kind. _You_ are _, you fool._

Once they have opened the chest cavity, Yaku goes to stop the bleeding and repair the damage with his Sun flames while Shibayama takes out the pieces of metal with his Rain flames. In most cases, bullet fragments like these are left in the body so long it’s not endangering the person’s life because they cannot afford removing every single one of them, but in this case, there’s no choice when they are Cloud-imbued. It only takes Sun flames to activate the propagation properties and cause damage once again. They cannot take the risk, not when it’s their boss’ life at stake.

Meticulously they remove the fragments from the vital organs and veins, and quickly heal the damaged parts. Slowly but surely the bleeding is stopped and the blood drained out. Mentor and disciple work flawlessly together with little to no communication between them, completing a task that would have taken ordinary surgeons longer, time that they cannot afford to lose. Regardless, a piercing wail breaks their focus.

Yaku doesn’t need to look at the monitor to see that Kuroo’s heart has stopped beating, and so does his heart. Shibayama, bless that boy, does not stop and stare.

“ _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ “ Yaku doesn’t bother to censor himself, snatching the defibrillator Shibayama hands him. Once in place, Yaku gives the heart its first shock.

“No heartbeat,“ Shibayama reports, keeping his eye on the monitor. Yaku gives it another moment before giving second shock to the unmoving organ.

“No heartbeat.“ The young Rain guardian’s voice remain calm, but there’s a forced quality to it. Yaku counts down the second until he gives the third shock, raising his gaze and expecting to be rewarded with a beat and a wave on the heart monitor.

“Still nothing.“ Shibayama turns to look at the Sun guardian, his eyes wide in fear. Making a split-second decision, Yaku shoves the defibrillator at Shibayama and goes to pump the heart with his hand. 

“Come on… Come on…“ Yaku forces himself to remain calm, but the muscles in his hand is terrifyingly still. He recalls everything he knows about human body and Sun flames. Lightning flames might be helpful in this case, but Lev hasn’t achieved the level of control needed for such delicate process. Yaku goes over every flame and its properties only to realize his flame has the best chance. He positions his fingers on the heart nodes respectively, and focuses his flames on the tip of his finger, trying to activate the heart’s natural pacemaker. It’s incredibly difficult to do so while pumping the heart, but Yaku has the best control and concentration of his flames after Kenma who is the natural Mist user, and Kuroo who is capable of using both of his flames at the same time effectively and efficiently, a feat that is unheard of.

“Come on, dammit. Don’t die on me you bastard.“ Yaku can feel tears gathering in his eyes. He is aware of the muffled sobs across him. He has to quash the instinct to comfort the younger man. He is Kuroo’s only chance. The moment he stops, all hope is lost. Seconds, minutes pass with no sign of heartbeat, the sound of the flat-lining heart taunting them.

“Come _on_ , Kuroo!“ Out of desperation, Yaku sends a sharp, concentrated burst of Sun flames into the nodes.

Then he feels it, a minute movement under his hand, followed by a faint chime from the monitor, before the heart  _beats._ Once, weakly. Twice, stronger.

By the third, the heart has beat strongly against his hand that when he slowly releases his grip, it no longer needs his help. The sound of Kuroo’s heartbeat is like music to his ears. When Yaku finally looks up and sees Shibayama teary face, he realizes that he is crying too. They allow themselves a bit respite after the close call, letting the tears run their course and dry out. After they regain their calm, they give each other a nod and finish the surgery.

Yaku makes another scan to make certain they have all damage repaired and all fragments taken out before closing up the breastbone, then the chest. Sun flames ensure no wires and stitches are needed, leaving smooth skin in their wake. He dips his head to Shibayama, smiling tiredly.

“Go tell the others.”

“Yes, Yaku-san!“ Shibayama reverts to his polite self, even going as far as bowing to him before scampering in his haste to share the good news. Yaku’s smile fades as he looks down at the figure on the operating table. Kuroo’s not out of the woods yet. He lost a great deal of blood and his heart stopped beating for far too long. His eyes traced the skin where he previously cut his chest open. 

There’s nothing left to show how close to death his friend is. No, Kuroo has died, he did  _die_. Yaku felt it down in his bones when his friend-brother-leader’s heart stop. He felt the painful loss, the gaping hollowness in his chest that would have sent him on his knees if he wasn’t being obstinate and refused to give up.

It is the trait of his that often exasperates Kuroo, but also the reason why he is the one entrusted to watch over the family, to look after the stubborn people who know not to ask for help in Kuroo’s stead. Only now he realizes the foolish man didn’t include himself in the request. 

“For someone so smart, you’re really stupid.“ Yaku lays his hand on top of Kuroo’s heart, finding comfort and assurance in the steady thrum beneath his palm. “You’re not going anywhere. I-  _We_  won’t let you. You hear me?”

“You’re stuck with us, Boss. Live with it.” His voice cracks, tears blurring the sight of the calm, peaceful face of his leader-brother-friend. 

“You hear?  _Live with it_.“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo definitely has scared his family to death.


	3. Karasuno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karasuno is laying low, but not for long...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** ANGST, lots of angst. Kuroo being stupidly selfless and kind. Daichi being angry and _terrifying_.

For the nth time, Daichi subtly checks his phone. Since he was named as the heir and future leader of Karasuno, he has come to keep his phone close to him, turned on and fully charged. He is not allowed to leave anywhere without any means of communication. It is the first and most important lesson in leadership Ukai Ikkei has imparted to Daichi, instilled through the tutelage of his grandson, Ukai Keishin: communication. A leader must not and should not lose touch with his people and his surroundings. He should be able to be approached by the lowest ranked member of the family. He should be able to be reached in any time and in any capacity. He is a leader of an organization, but he is also the head of a family. His family is not limited to those sworn to him, but also to the people who support his family and live in his family’s territory. It is why Karasuno is so strongly established in Miyagi despite the presence of Shiratorizawa and Aoba Jousai, it is because their leaders are respected and admired by their family, mafia and civilians alike.

His ability to be reached also signifies his family that he is  _there_ , that he is safe and sound, or as close to it, because having his phone with him indicates that he has means to contact them, and or in worst case scenario that he cannot, they have means to track him and come to his aid. It is why for all their frugality, Karasuno spare no expense in technology, communication technology in particular. It is why he pushes hard for Karasuno to develop their own communication device and have their own technology division, more so seeing that Kuroo managed to start his own. However, with their limited resources, Karasuno has settled on using Nekoma’s device and sending their tech people to learn from Nekoma as part of their alliance agreement, which turns out among his best decisions because Nekoma eventually establish themselves as the forefront of technology for the mafia and knowing the cats, it’s a matter of time before they move beyond the mafia. He has no doubt that Kuroo already laid all the groundwork to make it possible. He’s good at that, finding himself smiling a little at the thought.

"Still nothing from Kuroo?" Daichi looks up at the question to his right-hand man. The rest of the family has vacated the room, leaving only two of them and giving them the privacy Daichi didn’t realize he needed. His family has been sticking close to him since the ambush. He is never alone whenever he goes, even in the compound. It has been too much of a close call. He only realized it after receiving the reports from Johzenji. 

On his way to safety, Daichi took no time to call Terushima and demand for Johzenji’s best to be sent to the area he and his guardians escaped with their life. Considering how well prepared their enemy was, Daichi was certain they would be quick to cover their tracks, if they didn’t hurry there would be nothing left to figure out who might be behind this nefarious plot. Fortunately the Johzenji boss picked up the seriousness of the situation and was nothing but professional as he listened and agreed to his demand. Daichi felt ashamed and guilty for being so curt and demanding afterwards. He always tries to be respectful to everyone, especially to his family and his allies. He makes sure to frame his orders less like a demand and more like a request. But... the moment he saw the blood on his back, he didn’t really care. Someone wanted to kill them, someone nearly killed his family and friends, and someone  _hurt_  Kuroo. That someone was  _not_  getting away easily. Being polite and respectful was the last thing on his mind.

The decision was proven to be a good call on his part. Johzenji, living up to their new reputation for speedy service, managed to get to the scene before cleanup got underway. They’ve successfully documented all the important details in pictures and bag all the necessary evidence without giving away their presence. When Johzenji went again to scope the area not another hour later, any sign of hostilities were all but gone. No bodies, no wreckage,  _nothing_. The report sent chills down his spine. He already had an inkling back in the middle of fighting for his life, but this confirmed that the enemy they were dealing with was not to be underestimated. Their enemy is not only powerful, they are also smart, and that makes them all the more dangerous. At the realization he couldn’t help making sure over and over again that Johzenji were careful in fulfilling Karasuno’s demand. He doesn’t want any more of his allies pulled into this mess. He doesn’t want to put anyone else in danger, not if he can help it. He has screwed up badly with Nekoma, he won’t repeat the same mistake.

Daichi had initially wanted to make the meeting between himself and Kuroo official, which would not only include their respective inner circle, but also chosen representatives of their family as a gesture of faith and goodwill from both sides. He believed it was necessary to remind their family that they were allies first and foremost, and they would and should always be able to settle their differences peacefully. However, Kuroo had suggested for a preliminary meeting only between them and some of their guardians, where they could speak more freely than they would have in official setting. Daichi didn’t think twice to agree back then, reminded of how badly their last conversation had gone, with raised voices and hurtful words. They needed this conversation far from prying eyes and ears, agreeing upon meeting on neutral grounds with details only known to select, trusted few. He was horrified to think what would happen if Kuroo didn’t make the suggestion and they went ahead to arrange an official Karasuno-Nekoma meeting with so many of their most important members in one place. They would make such an easy target for their enemy.

And yet... with smaller meeting, with fewer people involved, still they were found out. Not only their enemy knew when and where the meeting was about to take place, they also managed to set up an ambush for them. Daichi has complete trust in his guardians, so does Kuroo. Daichi has been careful, and he is certain that Kuroo has been even more so, considering that he was the one who urged him caution before the meeting and later on brought up the possibility of an outsider trying to pit them against each other. It can only mean one thing.

 _They are being watched_.

It didn’t take long for Daichi to come that conclusion, and he didn’t need to look at Suga to know that he shared the same suspicion, so were his sharper, calmer guardians when he recounted the event in the emergency meeting. Still, Daichi needed to give the order for the guardians to stand down instead of seeking retribution, and to keep the information strictly among the inner circle, outside advisors included. Johzenji’s reports further solidify the decision. They need to figure out how they are being watched and how to gain and spread information without tipping their watchers. Until then they cannot afford to make any move or give away any sensitive information. They have to keep up the illusion that they remain unaware of outside presence.

It is why he cannot contact Kuroo, however much he’d like to. They don’t know how secure their communication is. He has faith in Chikara and Tsukishima and their technology division, that they can and will find out if someone has been tapping their communication, but Nekoma has superior team and resources, and between the two families, the cats are more likely to have figured out where their enemy get their information from and come up with ironclad measures. He won’t be the one to compromise Kuroo and his family, or any plans Kuroo set forth. Kuroo has to be the one to contact him, and it’s the same for all their Nekoma’s counterparts.

"Nothing from Yaku?" Daichi returns the question to Suga. Only Nekoma and few of their closest allies are aware that Kenma is Kuroo’s right-hand man. The Mist guardian doesn’t like interacting much with people and rather awkward in dealing with pleasantries required and demanded from the position so Yaku takes on the role for him and Kuroo lets the assumption that Yaku is his right-hand man stand, so that most of the mafia know no better. It’s more likely the call to come from Yaku, but if Kenma himself calls... His hand clenches in white-knuckled grip.

"Nothing yet." Suga shakes his head. "Remember what they say: no news is good news." His former vice captain lays a comforting hand on Daichi’s shoulder.

"It’s a fragmented Cloud bullet, Suga. Kageyama  _and_  Tsukishima confirmed it." Among the evidence Johzenji picked up and bagged was the bullet taken from the dead sniper.

"And you know how lethal the bullet is. If Kuroo was truly hit by one, he shouldn’t be able to still fight and move. There wasn’t much blood either." Suga’s words should have been comforting, but Suga doesn’t know what he knows. 

That Kuroo has Sky flames.

Daichi has refused to believe it at first, but after the dust has settled and he looked back to that moment in time, he became certain that his eyes didn’t deceive him, nor his intuition. He didn’t notice during the chaos, but his own flames have reacted towards Kuroo’s flames. They  _sang_. They recognize the flames as kindred.

Of all the Dying Will flames, Sky flames are the least known of their origin and application, which is not surprising considering how rare they are, rarer for a family to have a long, unbroken line of Sky flame wielders enough for them to study about them. Fortunately, Karasuno is one of those families, and the only one in Asia. Even though so, their scholars are still unable to pin down what makes Sky flames. The closest description they can come up with of the properties of Sky flames are harmony. Since the Sky flames are the purest and strongest of all the flames, they are of the opinion it is because the Sky flames are actually a uniquely balanced combination of the rest of the flames, thus they have the combined power of all the flames. It is further supported with evidence of Sky flame wielders executing feats that is only known to other flame wielders with their flames, although in a relatively smaller scale. It is not outside the realm of possibility that Kuroo trains himself to use the Mist properties of the Sky flames that he is as proficient as Mist flame wielders. For the same reason, it is also possible that in that split second Kuroo recognized Cloud flames in the bullet, he tried to nullify it using Rain properties. However, unless he trains his Rain as extensively as his Mist, he might only slow the propagation process. He was merely buying himself time.

Time that he might or might not have.

Daichi cannot tell any of this to Suga without betraying Kuroo’s trust. For all the man could talk his ear off with inane details of himself, his friends and family, he rarely speaks anything of true significance especially when it comes to himself. Despite their close and long-standing friendship, Kuroo is slow in sharing himself. He doesn’t give himself freely and easily. He learns more about Kuroo by reading his silence, his unspoken words. He learns how much Kuroo trusts him by counting the growing moments of silence between them. Kuroo can lie and deceive like the best of the mafia, but he never does around him. He might evade or stop the questioning like the sly, slinky cat he is, but he never outright lies to him. How can he forget this? How can he- 

He cannot forget the sad, resigned look on Kuroo’s face as he threw accusation after accusation, as he expressed his disbelief and disappointment that he and Nekoma were capable of such reprehensible acts. He has let his anger cloud his judgment. He didn’t give Kuroo chance to explain himself, unwilling to be reasoned. He cannot forget the cold, steely look in those golden eyes when he crossed the line by questioning Nekoma’s morality and integrity, before Kuroo finally spoke up, mercilessly cutting him down to size and forcefully ending what was supposed to be a pleasant time between friends and equals. Kuroo didn’t look back when he left. He had all the right to be angry, and to stop talking with him, but Kuroo still picked up the phone and listened to his proposal to end the hostility between their families. He still agreed to the meeting and.... still protected him from the sniper he missed.

How many debts has he accrued to Kuroo? How many apologies does he owe his friend? 

Would he have the chance to pay him back?

Before Daichi can linger at the bone-chilling thought, the doors to his office are thrown open with a loud bang.

"Daichi-san!!" With his typical disregard for formalities, Hinata runs up to his boss, Kageyama following not a step behind, scolding and apologizing for his friend at the same time. However, both Daichi and Suga don’t fail to notice the serious looks on their faces, making them straighten up in attention what might put such expression on the two youngest members of the family.

"ItextedKenma." Hinata says in a rush.

"Hinata-" Daichi instinctively starts scolding the Sun Guardian the moment he figures out what he said.

"I told you not to start with that," Kageyama hisses under his breath, but Hinata is undeterred, talking over them.

"I know! I know I am not to contact Kenma or Inuoka or Lev or anyone from Nekoma, but I thought a message should be safe because the app I have is the latest one from Nekoma, still the beta version from Kenma himself. I know I’m not the smartest, but I  _do_  know enough that beta version is safer than released version since not many are using it, which means less chance of people using it to listen in on to our communication."

Daichi and Suga exchange a surprised look. It is actually a sound reasoning.

"So I tried to send some texts, if only to check whether he’s there and reading it." He hands over his phone with open conversation between himself and Nekoma’s Mist on the screen. He points at the small shapes next to the bubble of text.

"Two checks means the text is read. One means the text is received." The previous conversations Hinata had with Kenma before the incident all have two checks. The two texts Hinata sent to check on Kenma after the incident have one check. However, the last few texts have an unfamiliar shape of circular arrow.

"Circular arrow?" It is Suga who voices the question.

"It means I have to resend the text, and it only happens if," he pauses, which immediately catches the attention of the others, because Hinata rarely hesitates, "either the phone is dead or disconnected."

"So I tried to call Kenma." This time they are too surprised to scold Hinata because that is the unlikeliest possibility for the most technologically advanced Nekoma. Hinata goes on to press call on his phone. Instead of a ringback tone what comes up is a mechanical voice.

_"The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected and is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again."_

Hinata doesn’t wait for their reaction, wiping his screen to the next conversation with Inuoka and pressing call. The same mechanical voice greets them. Hinata who is close with the younger Nekomas and in constant communication with them doesn’t stop there, and moves on to Lev and Shibayama, to the same result.

Kenma, Inuoka, Lev and Shibayama. That’s almost half of Nekoma’s inner circle. It cannot be a malfunction or a coincidence.

_A blackout._

For Nekoma to take such drastic measures... Daichi doesn’t know what might be the expression on his face, but Suga turns the two guardians around and pushes them towards the doors, taking Hinata’s phone along with him.

"We’ll check with the others. See if it’s really on their end or it’s on ours."

Daichi is barely aware of them leaving or the doors closing, his gaze fixed on his phone. He is barely aware unlocking his phone and staring at the number he programmed into speed dial for a certain Nekoma, finger hovering uncertainly as the dread he has been pushing down starts coming up to the surface. Setting up his jaw, he makes the call and prepares for the worst when he brings his phone up to his ear.

To his surprise, it is not a mechanical voice that greets him, it is a ringback tone. His grip tightens on the phone, hopeful. He remembers that Kuroo only shares this number with his family and closest friends and allies. It is meant for personal and emergency use, which means it should have the best security the Nekoma can offer. However when the first ring turns into the second, a frown forms on his face.

Kuroo  _always_  picks up in the first ring. He has picked up his call even when he was in a middle of a situation if only to tell him that he was busy.

It keeps ringing

"Pick up, Kuroo." 

and ringing

"Please, Tetsu," his voice breaks, " _Please_." 

and ringing.

With every ring the hope slowly dwindles and fades, so it takes him completely by surprise when the ringing ends and a familiar voice filters through.

_"You have reached Kuroo Tetsurou’s voicemail. If I can't pick up the phone then it is likely I won’t be able to return your call. If you have urgent matter, please call Yaku Morisuke or Kai Nobuyuki for assistance. Thank you for calling. Goodbye."_

It is blunt and straightforward, but it is not cold and impersonal. There’s... an underlying warmth and kindness Daichi has slowly learned to recognize. But what strikes Daichi the most is his chosen words. Of all message he could have composed for his voicemail... of all the words he could have picked...

Kuroo uses his words like one wields a weapon. His words are chosen with care and deliberation. Oftentimes he builds layer upon layer of meaning to keep people on their toes. Daichi has learned to read between the lines, and he doesn’t like what he sees.

Daichi presses call again, cuts it off before reaching the voicemail only to make the call again. 

Over, and over.

He loses count how many times he makes the attempt, before the doors are opened once again, this time admitting his entire family. They all share similar worried looks, but it is Tsukishima whom Daichi locks on to.

Tsukishima, who is cold and distant, who hardly displays any emotion or opens up to people, who takes time to finally warm up to Karasuno and trust Daichi as his leader until two young persistent, annoying young leaders managed to break through his cold exterior and became the few people he respects and admires... is right now anything but.

His skin turns impossibly paler. His mouth is painted in a harsh, grim line. His eyes... his eyes are wide. The calm and composed Cloud guardian is _afraid_

_"Kuroo! What were you thinking? Why did you pick up the phone when you were in a middle of a fight?"  
_

_"Eh, why not?" Daichi wanted to strangle his old friend for the unconcerned tone he adopted. Sometimes he swore the sharp, observant man could be deliberately obtuse._

_"You_ know _how dangerous it is to have your attention divided in a fight."  
_

_"Ooh, is Sawamura concerned for lil’ ol’ me? I’m touched!_ _" Kuroo’s refusal to take things seriously never failed to make his eye twitch in annoyance._

 _"Why should I be concerned? You sound perfectly fine to me." He_ had _been worried, but he couldn’t say it out loud, not when Kuroo would blow it out of proportion like this. "Next time, if you’re in a fight or in an important meeting, just ignore my call-"  
_

_"_ Sawamura _." The change in tone from playful to serious stopped him cold in his tracks. "The number I gave you is my personal number. It’s meant only for friends and family."_ It was meant only for the most important people _. "I’ll_ always _pick it up on the first ring. The moment I don’t... is the moment I can’t._ This  _is my promise to all my friends and family."  
_

Daichi has tried to block that conversation from his mind, because if he acknowledges it, he’s acknowledging the possibility that Kuroo doesn’t pick up because-because he-

_DreadSorrowGriefDenialRegretGuiltRageRAGERAGERAGERAGERAGERAGERAGE-_

Rage unlike he has ever felt before consumes him, so blinding and encompassing, igniting the flames residing within him and coursing through his veins, under his skin, burning everything on their way, leaving startling clarity and stillness in him.

It is with burning amber eyes he turns his gaze upon his guardians, who all have turned completely tense and silent when they look at him. He recognizes their fear and surprise and concern at seeing him this way, but it feels distant and muted to him when in another time and circumstance it would matter to him how he makes his family afraid of him, but there’s no place for emotions this time. They will only get in the way and cloud his judgment, which he cannot afford.

"Rescind the previous orders." His strong, steady voice cuts through the silence, making his guardians stand in attention. 

"Karasuno will no longer stand down. We will find out the people behind this." His eyes flash briefly with orange flames. 

"And we _will_ bring them to justice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never _ever_ make Daichi angry (or lay a finger on Kuroo, just... no).


	4. Nekoma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What actually happens in Nekoma...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Initially I want to post this chapter for Kuroo’s birthday, but I struggle with it because I end up getting into Nekoma politics, and seriously, why can’t my muse make it easy for me?? It’s for the same reason that I cannot say that there’ll be less angst so... **Warning:** ANGST, lots of angst, brief description of anxiety attack, family politics, and Kenma kicking ass.
> 
> Last but not least, **_Happy late birthday, Kuroo!!_**

_Blood loss and flame exhaustion._

That’s why Kuroo is not waking up even after receiving the best care under the ever watchful eyes of Yaku and Shibayama and in the safety of Nekoma compound.

_Medically speaking, he’s on his way for full recovery. His vital signs are strong and his brain activity is normal. His blood work returns clean._

Yaku tried his best to explain Kuroo’s condition when he called for urgent family meeting. They might not have extensive medical knowledge like their resident physician and future certified medical doctor, but they knew enough from experience that three days were far too long to regain consciousness. Even after the most difficult surgeries and heavy sedation, there was always a brief moment of awakening before falling unconscious again. Kuroo didn’t.

 _He’s just... sleeping, or as close to it._  

Yaku and Shibayama didn’t waste any time in performing all the tests they could think of, then turned the results over and sideways and asked for second opinion to no avail, until they went over Nekoma medical records and stumbled upon the possibility of flame exhaustion. It is a rare condition for the Nekomas whose training heavily emphasizes control, so they very rarely exhaust their flames, regardless of the size of their reserves. They are also trained to recognize their limits, so they can train to push them without exhausting themselves. The records showed that the condition was and should be easily rectified by proper rest.

_Tetsu... He drains himself dry, literally and metaphorically._

Kuroo shouldn’t be alive, he should have been dead the moment the bullet entered his body, with the speed it shattered and multiplied, especially when it hit so close to vital organs. There could only be one reason for his survival: he managed to use his Rain flame on the bullet... all the while fighting for his life without using his original flame. Yaku also suspected that Kuroo turned on his foresight throughout the fight. While it was not draining his flames-considering it was a natural ability of Sky flames, it gave him double vision which would also take concentration for him to separate the future possibilities and reality.

_There’s nothing much we can do but wait._

The ensuing silence was unbearable. Kuroo could be terrifyingly cold and detached in his decision making that he never placed his life of higher importance than others’. It was a trait that his family both loved and hated in equal measure. Kuroo was not careless with his life, his family extracted that promise from him, but he would and could not promise to choose himself over the lives he could save. It felt like a paltry promise back then, but seeing how hard Kuroo fought to keep that promise,  _to survive..._

Kenma cannot stay any longer in the room, leaving an illusion of himself in his place to keep the others from noticing. He stumbles out to the hallways, his breathing short and quick. He tries to slow his breathing, he tries to count up and down, he tries everything but nothing works. It has been so long since it was this bad. He has learned to recognize the signs and remove himself before it turns into a full-fledged attack, or Kuroo does it for him. But Kuroo is...

Kuroo... who is lying pale and lifeless on the infirmary bed surrounded by machines... whose flames are so faint and flickering... That Kuroo is  _not_  Kuroo. That Kuroo is not his Kuroo, his first and best friend, his brother, his leader. That is-that is not- 

The distressing thought does no favor to his condition as his breathing gets worse. Kenma clutches his chest, trying vainly to slow his breathing as he flounders aimlessly. His head feels light, his vision narrow.

 _Hey, hey. Breathe with me. You’re okay. You’re okay_. Suddenly Kenma is seeing young Kuroo crouched in front of him, eyes wide and concerned for a child he had just met. His young self had inched away in surprise at the strange child’s appearance who had managed to see past his Mist illusion.

He never dealt well with children around his age, more so with strangers, and yet despite his initial surprise and suspicion, he found himself drawn to the boy and the outstretched hand.

Kenma had always been able to sense flames, he could feel the slightest change in them and shape them into his liking. It came to him as easy as breathing. He cared not for the clamor and praise that came with it. He cared only for the respite and knowledge he was granted. He cared only for the ability to hide and to tell whom to trust. Kuroo burned with flames that he had never seen before, bright against the darker flames of Mist and warm against the cool indifference of Nekoma. 

He finds himself reaching out... and trips face-first on something soft. In his surprise he breathes in, familiar scent and warmth assaulting his senses. He knows this scent, he knows this warmth. He grapples blindly, opening his palm and stretching his fingers to feel. He knows these sheets, these pillows and these blankets thrown haphazardly over large mattress. He doesn’t need to look around to know where he finds himself in.

Kuroo’s bedroom. Kuroo’s bed. Kenma’s and Nekoma’s safe haven.

Since their early acquaintance, Kuroo had made himself available for Kenma. He learned not to lock his doors and grew used to Kenma sneaking into his room and making himself comfortable. However as they ventured deeper and further to the family business, Kenma was becoming not the only one needing comfort and finding their way into Kuroo’s room. After witnessing and experiencing the worst the world could offer, it was not unusual for the family to spend the night together. When Kuroo finally claimed the boss’ quarters, he didn’t bother with proper bed and brought in the widest, thinnest, and most comfortable mattress, covered it with the softest sheets and thrown as many pillows and blankets over it.

Kenma can sense traces of himself and his family between the sheets. He can feel the lingering emotion and memories left among the pillows and blankets, the good and the bad. But most of all, he can feel _him,_ suffusing the bed and the room with his warmth and kindness, with his patience and understanding, with his love and loyalty for his family. Something inside him flickers insistently, as though telling him to pay attention and so Kenma follows, tumbling down and falling deep into himself.

He finds his flame easily, burning indigo-bright. However, there’s another flame, smaller and weaker, but no less bright or warm. Kenma finds himself cradling the orange flame protectively to his chest. He cannot forget how it feels when the light and warmth that he doesn’t know have always been there suddenly are gone, leaving him cold and empty and blind in the dark. He cannot forget the agonizing moments when all of them could only stand still, refusing to believe what they all felt, refusing to mourn and grieve, with nothing they could do but hope and pray and beg that when the light and warmth finally returned they could barely believe it. He cannot forget how they cried, they yelled, and they cried some more. Kuroo was gone, but he was back. He was  _back_.

The flame seems to burn brighter at this realization, sending pulsating warmth throughout his body. It feels familiar, it feels like...

_Breathe, Kenma. Breathe. I am here. I am going nowhere._

Kenma finds himself matching his breathing with every pulse, and slowly, surely it evens out. For a while, Kenma lays there, just breathing, letting Kuroo’s presence surround him. However, his analytical mind cannot truly rest, slowly gathering together all the pieces from all his knowledge and observation, but two facts stand out the most in his mind: Kuroo is weak and vulnerable, and he is easy prey to those who want him dead.

_Kuro is in danger._

Cat-like eyes snaps open in the dark, bright and sharp. Kenma might not be as dedicated and passionate as others, he has a tendency to shy away from duty and responsibility, but he has given his pledge and loyalty to Kuroo. He has  _chosen_  Kuroo. Kuroo and the family he made for himself are and will always be his top priority. If there’s anything that can make him take action, it’s Kuroo and their self-made family. Mind whirling with projections and calculations with such speed and accuracy, emotions set aside and discarded with such ease that makes him valued and considered as the next Nekoma boss, Kenma knows that he cannot act without knowing more information. 

He traverses the dark room with ease and familiarity towards the wall on the side of the room. All the rooms in the family quarters are highly secured, because it uses a combination of biological and flame signature. However, one room takes it further by using flame pattern as its lock, which can only be opened by someone who knows the pattern and has the control needed to make the pattern with their flame. It’s a room that can only be opened by Kuroo, and Kenma as his right-hand man.

The lights turns on the moment he steps into the private study of the Nekoma boss. All sides of the room are crammed with information in various forms, from the traditional paper archives to modern digital archives, all but one side that is at the opposite of the grand wooden table with documents and stationary strewn over that has multiple screens mounted on it. In the middle there is interactive table that is not dissimilar with the one they have in the conference room, and its hologram is surprisingly active.

Kenma doesn’t think twice to approach the table and looks over the hovering images of boxes that are intertwined with each other with multiple lines so massive that it almost takes the whole room. Kenma picks one box at random and is wholly unprepared when a familiar voice rings out. 

“Vision number 1283-”

The boxes are the detailed accounts of the futures Kuroo has seen. Some futures appear only once, some appear frequently. Some change with time, some don’t. Some are clear, some are not. Kuroo managed to organize them into somewhat coherent manner, grouping together similar visions and then arranging them in a timeline. In every account there is a thorough analysis of what he has seen, deciphering what it means, whether it’s a constant or a changeable future, whether it’s part of action and consequence, or completely unrelated, whether the people and the event have any significance. 

It is a time-consuming and meticulous work, not mentioning how large and complex it is. Kuroo is thinking more just than the future, he is thinking of the ripples on the pond, of the making of waves. Kenma is capable of seeing the future based on the present and making plans for it accordingly, but this... this is something else. Every person, every action is accounted for, so are their roles and their impact to the future. Kenma is sure that lines should be more convoluted than this but Kuroo has worked through them, removing the uncertain futures and directing them to a more favorable and controllable outcome so that what is left is a tangled mess that Kenma can still follow. It helps that Kuroo also recorded his musings so he can see where he’s coming from.

Kuroo plays out various scenarios, adjusting it accordingly with every change in reality and in foresight until he has narrowed it down into the most plausible scenarios and make plans of action based on them. He scraps the worst of the plans marking it down as unacceptable outcome and keeps the best of them by marking it down as acceptable outcome.

Acceptable outcome.

Kenma’s breathing hitches when he reads the plan. The plan that would have the least consequences, the least casualty: himself.

_Acceptable outcome._

The world goes red and when he comes to, Kenma finds himself curled in the corner, the room completely dark but for the screens, flickering in and out, some are cracked. Things are scattered all over the room as though a whirlwind has come and upended everything inside. However, the interactive table somehow remains untouched with its tangled boxes hovering in the air, blocked by a figure reading through the page that he has left open. Kenma watches silently and knows the exact moment when Yaku finishes because he recognizes the unadulterated rage crossing his features. 

“It’s my fault.” Kenma finds himself speaking out, catching the Sun guardian’s attention whose expression morphs into concern when he sees him. Yaku kneels down in front of him, careful to keep his distance.

“Why?” It speaks how well Yaku understands Kenma that instead going for reassurance, he goes for clarification.

“I should have been the boss. I shouldn’t have run away. I shouldn’t have Kuroo shouldered the burden that is not his to bear.” Once he starts, Kenma can’t seem to stop. “The council didn’t want him, Mori. They wanted Mist boss, even after they found out that he had Sky flame.”

Kenma sees understanding dawns in Yaku’s eyes, the pieces falling into place to make the complete puzzle of one Kuroo Tetsurou. Why Kuroo doesn’t think much of himself despite all of his achievements, why Kuroo insists of using the Mist aspect of his Sky flames, why Kuroo’s backup plans tend to put Kenma in the center, why Kuroo rarely sends Kenma out to the field unless necessary. 

Yaku leans back on his heels as though he is struck, the look on his face is of great incredulity.

“ _A placeholder?_  All this time?” Yaku looks like he wants to cry and curse and yell, so does Kenma. He should have realized. He should have known better. Kuroo cares too much. He has too much heart. He always wants the best for others, but he rarely, if ever, considers himself. He is his very own and only blind spot.

It should be his duty and responsibility not only as his right hand but also his friend and confidant to make Kuroo  _see._ That he has been the best leader Nekoma can ask for, more than Kenma can ever be.

Kenma presses hard the heels of his hand to his eyes. Kuroo needs time to rest and recover, time he might not have if Kenma wastes his time to wallow in guilt. Kenma stands up, taking Yaku by surprise.

“Yaku.” Yaku snaps to attention at the change of address. “Call for an emergency meeting in an hour. Attendance is mandatory. Lateness, furthermore, absence, will not be tolerated.” 

It takes a moment for the Sun guardian to respond, barely recognizing the younger man before him. Kenma doesn’t look away, doesn’t duck and hide. He meets his gaze straight on. Kenma is dead serious. He won’t accept any excuses. He will have them in the meeting one way or another.

This is Kenma the right-hand man of Nekoma.

Yaku smiles grimly as he stands up, nodding his head. “Consider it done.”

Kenma’s gaze follows Yaku until he’s out of sight, knowing with certainty that he will have all the inner circle along with council members and family representatives in the meeting. He walks towards the interactive table, briefly hesitating before opening up the backup plan Kuroo left behind in the event of his death. As he skims through the plan laid out before him, he understands why Kuroo made the request. He knew he was asking much from them to remain calm and neutral when all they want is to raze the bastards to the ground, because the best outcome hinges on it. Although Kenma has a feeling that Kuroo underestimate how much. 

Before he knows it, an hour has passed. Kenma steps into the conference room with Yaku and Kai at his immediate right and left, the rest of the inner circle at their sides and back, giving him the support that he doesn’t realize he needs as he is greeted by the full ensemble of Nekoma’s council members and family representatives standing around the large conference table whose gaze immediately trained on them. Kenma knows Kuroo’s absence doesn’t escape their notice despite their best attempts to hide their alarm especially when he takes his place next to seat at the head of the table. Only the Nekoma boss has the power to call for emergency meeting. And yet, he is not here. Hush falls over the room, which doesn’t help his nerves. Kenma tries not to fidget as he grapples to say something.

“Please be seated.” Kai, bless ever reliable Kai, takes care the formalities so Kenma has less one thing to worry about. Everyone takes their seat, all but Kenma, who cannot find it in himself to sit in Kuroo’s place so he remains standing next to the empty seat. 

Kenma breathes in and out, drawing strength from the flame inside him that belong to Kuroo.

For Kuroo.

“Three days ago, we met up with Karasuno to discuss the details of truce arrangement between both of the families. We sent Kuroo, Yaku and Kai, and Karasuno sent Sawamura, Sugawara and Azumane. It was supposed to be a highly classified meeting with only few people in the know. And yet, we were attacked.” Kenma pauses as much to let the news sink in as to give himself time.

“We were outnumbered and overpowered. We managed to escape, but Kuroo... Kuroo was hit by Cloud fragmented bullet.” Shock ripples throughout the room. This is the gathering of the most brilliant minds in Nekoma, they are fully aware of the significance and the consequence of the action. Before they arrive to the wrong conclusion, Yaku is quick to step in.

“Kuroo is alive.” The Sun guardian stares them down, daring them to question his words. “However, he suffers from blood loss and flame exhaustion. We don’t know when he will regain consciousness.” Kenma watches everyone’s reaction carefully.

“This is concerning.” Nekomata speaks up. “This is not just simply another assassination attempt. Do you have any suspects?”

“We do, but we do not have sufficient evidence.” All Nekoma in the room catch on to the underlying meaning. Only few people outside the inner circle know about Kuroo’s foresight, but they all know the infamous Sky intuition and has seen it in action that they are willing to set aside their skepticism and follow the plans based on it so long they are ironclad. It will be so easy to give them names and have all Nekoma go after them. But that’s not what Kuroo wants, or what he needs.

"So what would you do?” Kenma cannot quite quell his trepidation when he hears that voice. It is the head of the council himself, Hyou Sakaki. Hyou is among the few of the older generation that remain in the council and representatives. He is a traditionalist, or the closest equivalent to it, in flexible and adaptable Nekoma, because however much Nekoma changes, their core values must and should not change. It is why he is elected as the head of the council, to be the foil of Nekomata, and later Kuroo who are the radicals of Nekoma. He is firm and unyielding as required by his position. He is Nekoma’s harshest critic and devil’s advocate. 

Kenma doesn’t have pleasant memory of the man, despite having him as his main supporter for the succession because it meant the elder demanded more from him. Hyou wanted more traditional and less radical leader for Nekoma. While he can think out of the box, Kenma does favor the more proven and tested approach and is content with status quo, unlike Kuroo who is more willing to take risks backed with his intuition and challenge the status quo. Hyou doesn’t hide his disappointment when Kenma chose to give up his position as the successor and his disapproval whenever Kuroo showed his radical inclination. Regardless, he has sway over the family, and Kenma needs his support with his plan. He cannot show any weakness.

“We’re executing Plan D. Nekoma will go to ground.” 

The declaration is met by surprise and disbelief. Of all orders Plan D is the last order Kenma is expected to give, because it is not a simple matter of staying quiet and under the radar. It is a complete withdrawal of Nekoma presence in the mafia world with the exception of the people and businesses to which their association to Nekoma are not known. It is an extreme measure that is meant for the direst situation.

“Do you know what you’re asking?” Hyou narrows his eyes at Kenma, making his disapproval clear. “You are asking for all of our businesses to be closed down and stop operating. You are asking for a recall and reassignment of our people. You are asking for a major undertaking that is going to cost us the longer it is in motion.”

“Yes. I do know.” Kenma doesn’t back off, signaling his seriousness in the matter.

“Then why?” Naoi asks. 

“They’ve gone this far to kill Kuroo. They won’t stop until he’s dead. The way he is now, Kuroo is an easy target. Any other course of action, any other plan, will put him at risk.”

“So you’re putting the safety of one person above the family?” Kuga Haruka-the second most influential person in the council-inquires, an elegant eyebrow raised.

Kenma can sense the rest of the family bristling around him, taking offense in the council member’s words, but it serves to center him instead. Finding his courage, Kenma straightens his spine and meets the gaze of every single person in the room.

“No. Because Kuroo is Nekoma, and Nekoma is Kuroo.”

The moment the words come out from his mouth, he realizes how true they are, and he is not the only one with how he stunned them speechless. It’s ironic, in his attempt to make Nekoma free and independent from inside and outside reliance, Kuroo becomes an irreplaceable figure himself. Nekoma will carry on without him, but it won’t be Nekoma anymore. Kuroo is not just Nekoma’s leader, he is their heart and soul. It is why the council was so against of having him as the successor to Nekomata, because Kuroo inspired steadfast love and devotion in the coldest and most rational of Nekoma. It was dangerous for Nekoma that placed mind above heart, rationale above intuition.

“Any objections for implementing Plan D?” Kuga asks the room at large.

And they are right. Because against all rational thought, none of them raise any objections, not even Hyou himself. Without a shred of doubt and hesitation, they all come to an agreement. The decision is unanimous. 

“We shall proceed with Plan D. You have our full support.” Hyou concludes.

Kenma should feel relieved, but all he can feel is sadness.

 _Can’t you see how much you are loved, Kuro?_  Kenma clenches his hand, his gaze sharp and determined. _Wake up, and we’ll show you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are loved Kuroo. Never ever doubt that...


	5. Karasuno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karasuno comes a chilling discovery...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this much, much earlier (early january) as a birthday gift for our boy Sawamura Daichi and [HomeForImaginaryFriends](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomeForImaginaryFriends) who gave me a wonderful birthday gift, and I did manage to get it halfway done, but the ending just didn’t want to work with me T_T So here it is, six months late, but here nonetheless. **Warning:** this is just part one of two.
> 
> Last but not least, **_Happy late birthday, Daichi!! Happy late birthday, Courtney!!_**

The silence is deafening.

All the inner circle of Karasuno is present, and yet... none of them speak a word, still reeling from Suga’s report. His right-hand man’s face is blank and neutral, wiped of all and any expression, which he only does when he is struggling to control himself. The rest of the family is no better, in various state of shock and disbelief.

They initially thought that only the inner circle—at least the boss and the guardians—goes into hiding, cutting off all contact with outside world to keep themselves from getting tracked and monitored. It is a logical move, especially if they share the same suspicion. However, it seems it is only the tip of the iceberg.

It’s not just the inner circle, it is the  _entirety_  of Nekoma family. 

It all started when Ukai tried to contact Naoi and the rest of his contacts in Nekoma after hearing what the Nekoma guardians have done, only to encounter the same problem with Daichi and the family had. However, it was only until they received an unprecedented call from old man Ukai himself, who had mostly kept to himself since his retirement, telling him that he lost contact with Nekomata and Kuga of the Nekoma Council and Representatives that they realized it wasn’t just Nekoma’s inner circle.

All the businesses of which Nekoma ownership and affiliation are known are closed down and stop operating without any announcement when they will resume operation. Karasuno, being their oldest and main ally, knows the lesser known businesses, but when they checked on them, it is to find only the civilian members taking care of the operations. The mafia members are nowhere to be seen.

Their known gathering places and bases, including the compound, has shown little to no activity. When they tried to check for heat and motion signatures, there was no signs of life. They are empty, abandoned.

It is as though Nekoma has never existed.

If Daichi isn’t deeply entrenched in hyper dying will state, he will feel the chill crawling down his spine. It is as unbelievable as it is terrifying.

Nekoma is a relatively small family, but it doesn’t make it easier to make hundreds of people disappear without a trace, but most importantly, without  _tipping_  anyone. Suga and Chikara take particular pride in having their ear to the ground, quick to hear any rumors circulating in the mafia, and yet they are completely caught unawares, by their very own ally, nonetheless. Naturally they take it as a personal affront and challenge.

The two threw themselves into the investigation, pulling Tsukishima and their tech division along. They are nothing short of thorough and meticulous, and yet they find nothing definitive when exactly Nekoma people started disappearing. All the witnesses who saw them last gave the similar testimony, they went on their day like usual and gone in the next. They gave out the most common excuses that no one paid them any mind and only until later those witnesses realized they haven’t seen them in days. It was so smooth and seamless, causing no disturbance to the people around them that their absence went largely unnoticed. 

But what terrifies Daichi more is how all the signs are pointing out that this is more than simple tactical withdrawal.

“This-This can’t be true.” Ryuu voices their disbelief out loud. “That’s just-” His hands and eyes flail wildly around the room, wanting someone to disprove him. “An  _entire_  family. Gone. Just like that.” 

“Unfortunately, that’s exactly what all the evidence suggests.” In contrast, Tsukishima sounds bored and uncaring, catching the family off guard at the reappearance of old Tsukishima who hides behind tall, thick walls. Daichi might be the only one who is not surprised and finds the irony that the person who broke those walls down is the same one who makes him retreat back into their safety.

“How can you say that so calmly?!” Ryuu slams the table loudly as he leans forward towards Tsukishima in anger. Kinoshita and Noya sitting next to him swivel around in surprise at the outburst. “Don’t you care at all? It’s Nekoma! Our friend and ally! Do you forget who take you under their wing and treat you like their own?!” Scared and surprised, Yachi tucks herself close to Hinata, keeping him from getting involved in the argument, though in defense of Tsukishima or in agreement with Ryuu, it’s a toss-up.

“Enough.” Daichi cuts Ryuu off before he can cause further damage with his words. His oldest friend can be so sharp and dense at the same time. Daichi directs his attention towards his mentor and advisor. Ukai has remained quiet and serious throughout the meeting, his arms crossed and his cigarette unlit. It is an alarming sight for those who has seen the man taking out a fresh cigarette and lighted it using the fire from attack thrown at him without batting an eyelash in the middle of an all-out war. Kiyoko next to him is also wearing similar expression, indicating the significance of Nekoma’s course of action.

“Keishin-san.”

“Don’t tell me you've forgotten what I taught you?” Ukai drawls carelessly, but his eyes are sharp when his gaze meets his own. “There are three possibilities when an opponent withdraws their forces. Retreat, rebuilding…”

“…or retaliation.” Daichi continues, holding his mentor’s gaze. “It’s a feigned retreat, isn’t it?”

It is one of the tactics what the Ancient Mongols are renowned of. Pretending to be defeated, exhausted and confused, suddenly retreating from the battlefield, tricking their opponents to think they have routed them and to give chase, only for the retreating Mongols to fire upon them, and turning the tables on the scattered, uncoordinated opponents.

For those who underestimate Nekoma, it’s a tactic to lull them into a sense of complacency. For those who don’t, it’s a tactic to keep their eyes open and their guard up.

“They’ve never done this before.” Daichi looks towards Ukai for confirmation. The Karasuno advisor has made it his mission that Daichi knows all he has to know about Karasuno and the mafia. Karasuno and Nekoma have been so closely intertwined that he received his fair share of Nekoma’s history as he learned about Karasuno’s.

Even from the small glimpse of their past and their current interaction with Nekoma, he can easily understand why Nekoma outlasts bigger, powerful families. They are not only an embodiment of the cats they are renowned of, but also the Mist flames they are strong in. However, those traits do not make Nekoma trustworthy, if it isn’t for the delicate balancing act the Nekoma bosses have done, that could only be achieved with their brilliance and cunning.

They knew how to pick the battles to win the war. They knew how and when to push forward and pull back. Tactical retreat was one strategy that Nekoma often employed, which was usually followed by a clever maneuver that put them in the advantage. Feigned retreat though… Nekoma was not in position when they could afford to employ that tactic without putting themselves at a disadvantage. Nekoma is old and experienced, but they are not exceptionally powerful and influential. Nekomata came close to in achieving this and many believed that he would be leading Nekoma to the golden age. However, he took everyone by surprise by stepping down and handing the leadership over to Kuroo instead. While Nekoma is more strongly established under Kuroo, they are still nowhere close to make such bold, risky move.

“No, they have not.” Kiyoko confirms. Being the future advisor of Karasuno and successor to Ukai, Kiyoko’s knowledge of the history of Karasuno and the mafia is impeccable.

“What changes?” Even as he asks the question, Daichi knows the answer.

“Kuroo Tetsurou.” Ukai sums it up in two words, in one person, and no truer words have been spoken. Kuroo is not a typical Nekoma boss. He has far reaching dream and aspiration for Nekoma. He inspires loyalty in the men who are renowned for their calm and rationality. Daichi believes that is why Nekomata decided to step down, because he saw Nekoma's golden age in Kuroo, but it is not an opinion that many people share. They only see another Mist Nekoma boss and that will prove their greatest undoing.

“What does Kuroo-san have to do with it?” Hinata asks slowly and carefully. He still has a look of confusion on his face, but he knows intuitively whatever it is, it is bad enough for the reckless guardian feel the need to tread lightly.

“Sugawara?” Ukai tilts his head towards the frozen figure of the Lightning guardian who has the expression as though he was struck by his own element. Suga's eyes alternate between Daichi and Tsukishima with dawning comprehension. It doesn’t last long as the blank and neutral mask returns to his face.

“There are rumors,” Suga pauses. “Rumors that Nekoma leader is dead.” There is a moment of stunned silence before the room descends into chaos. It is one thing to believe that the whole family is gone without a trace, they know the Cats are capable of it, but it is another to believe that the sly and cunning leader of Nekoma is dead.

Despite having been long-time allies and seen the sides of Kuroo that only friends and allies are privy to, his guardians still find the Nekoma boss somewhat intimidating. They hold him in almost the same regard with Daichi himself. The thought, the  _possibility_  alone, that Kuroo dying is as preposterous as Daichi dying. In another time and circumstance, he will find their reaction amusing, if he doesn’t know better.

"How sure are you of the rumor?” Daichi is glad for the clarity and insight the hyper dying will state provided. Otherwise his composure will have been in pieces and that is the last thing he or his family needs. His question is enough to put order in the room.

“With nothing to go on, we cannot be sure but...” Daichi inwardly admires Suga’s calm, but he knows the storm brewing underneath the Lightning guardian’s surface.

“…It rather explains the drastic measure Nekoma has taken.” Daichi comes to the conclusion on his own. He hates to see the light dim in his family’s eyes as they begin to understand the situation. Chikara speaks up, putting down his phone on the table, his expression troubled.

“While the rumor hasn’t caught up with the rest of the mafia, they have noticed Nekoma’s diminishing presence, and speculation runs rampant that we have something to do with it.”

Ukai lets out a long string of curses enough that Daichi very much likes to say himself, but he is more focused on pushing down the headache that threatens to appear. What a predicament they are in. He briefly forgets that despite being known as allies, Karasuno-Nekoma relationship of late has been known to be strained. They will naturally be the main suspect for any questionable circumstances happening to Nekoma. It doesn’t help that they are also currently in hiding, which will easily add fuel to the rumors. They have to act fast before the rumors take hold and are taken advantage of by their mysterious enemy. He cannot help the whisper of thought in the back of his mind wondering whether Nekoma is aware of the consequences of their action to Karasuno.  

No matter, Daichi decides. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeats out loud to his family, catching their attention.

“We all know the truth, and that’s what matters the most.” Daichi sweeps his gaze over his family. “We don’t know what happens to Nekoma, but we do know this: there are people who don’t only want to destroy us and Nekoma, but also the alliance that we hold dear… and they are still out there, waiting for the chance to make it happen.”

“Now the question is, are you going to let them?”

The answer is a resolute and resounding no. The light has returned into his family’s eyes, their eyes hard and determined. Nekoma is more than just their ally, they are as close as family. Whoever targeting their family will  _pay_.

“Make the preparations. You have your assignments.”

“Yessir!” All the guardians stand up and go to do their part, except for Suga who moves towards the head of the table where Daichi remains with Ukai and his team.

“We need to start a rumor of our own,” Daichi starts. Suga nods.

“I’ve given the order to Chikara.” They turn to Yui with her multiple covers and aliases that make it easy for her to get close to and whisper into the ear of the rumormongers of the mafia.

“Leave it to me.” Yui bounces on her heels lightly, her smile bright and mischievous. It never fails to warm Daichi’s heart to see his childhood friend retain her cheery attitude.

“Me and Akiteru will help,” Saeko offers.

“I’ll keep the infirmary ready and fully stocked,” Ikejiri adds.

“I will go through all potential suspects who might benefit from Karasuno and Nekoma’s downfall,” Kiyoko speaks up.

“Keishin-san, can you meet with Ukai-san?”

“You think it’s bigger than us?” Ukai raises an eyebrow. Old Man Ukai has made it clear that he is not to be disturbed unless great emergency. His mentor knows that it is not a decision Daichi makes lightly to involve his predecessor.

“I don’t think. I believe,” Daichi corrects Ukai.

“That’s Sky intuition speaking, isn’t it?” Ukai doesn’t question Daichi further since he has come from a line of Sky flame wielders. He knows better to trust Sky intuition. Ukai exchanges a look with his team, they have their assignments. It’s time to move out. One by one walks out the conference room, Ukai is the last to go.

“I’ll be gone for a while. You know how difficult the reception is there.”

“Regular check-in for every 24 hours.” Daichi reminds him. Ukai merely waves in acknowledgment without turning around.

With his family on the move, Daichi doesn’t stay any longer in the conference room. He leaves the room, heading towards his office with Suga by his side. He knows that Suga has something to say to him, but his right-hand man will wait until they are within the privacy of his office. He blinks in surprise when he finds Chikara waiting when they get in the office. Yui and Ikejiri are his childhood friends, Chikara and Ryuu are his oldest friends, and Suga is his best friend. Five of them, besides Ukai, are the people in the family who know Daichi best. Whenever they join forces, they mean business.

An intervention.

Daichi delays the inevitable by taking his time to take a seat at his table. Chikara and Suga stand before him, presenting a united front and Daichi immediately knows he is in trouble.

“Alright.” Daichi clasps his hand in front of him, taking the initiative. “What is it?”

“When did the last time you drop the hyper dying will state?” Suga goes straight for the jugular. Of course, that’s what Suga does. Daichi knows better than to answer.

“You have been keeping it up since you tried calling Kuroo-san, haven’t you?” Chikara guesses. His silence is enough confirmation for his friends who exchange worried looks.

“What happened, Daichi?” Suga asks gently. Daichi knows that his friends are willing to wait however long it takes for him to speak.

“…He didn’t pick up, when he should have.” The words are torn out of his throat. “…He promised.” Despite the maintained calm, sadness and bitterness still escape, tingeing those two words with emotion.

“You can’t keep this up,” Chikara states matter-of-factly, but concern is writ all over his features.

“I can.” Daichi sees his friends about to protest, he amends, “I  _have_  to.” He looks at them and wishes they understand that it is not an option for him. It is a  _necessity_. The moment he drops the state, he is going to break, and he doesn’t know whether he can pick up the pieces. It is Suga who reaches understanding first, his face turns sympathetic.

“Oh, Daichi.” Fortunately, Suga doesn’t try to comfort him, Daichi’s hold on his emotions is strenuous enough. He is not sure what will happen if he receives comfort and reassurance.

“What can we do?” Chikara frowns, his dismay at the situation clear.

“I don’t think there’s much you can do, except giving me time and space to readjust my hold on the hyper dying will state whenever it threatens to slip.”

“We can do that.” Suga nods in determination. Chikara follows not a second behind.

“Thank you.” Daichi is truly grateful for his friends and family. He doesn’t know he can get through the trying times without them. He finds himself breathing easier, relaxing in the presence of his most trusted people.

However, that peace isn’t meant to last. The office phone suddenly rings.

The display indicates the call is from the tech division. Thinking it is important, Daichi puts them on speakerphone. Suga and Chikara step closer to the phone in curiosity.

“Sawamura.” Daichi answers.

“Daichi-san, Bokuto-san is demanding a meeting with you.” Tsukishima rushes out, urgency in his voice.

“Tsukishima?” Before he can ask for clarification the door to the office slams open, admitting the familiar figure of Fukurodani boss in all his white-black-gold glory.

Daichi has gotten to his feet before Bokuto made his entrance, registering the strong intent to kill. It still doesn’t prepare him enough when the Sun boss closes the distance in a blink of an eye and picks him up bodily off the ground by his shirt.

“ _Sawamura!_ ” The genial expression is gone from the always cheerful Bokuto Koutarou. In its place is pure rage and hate, and for the first time Daichi understands why this man is feared so much. This is the sword of Amaterasu, Bokuto ‘Kusanagi’ Koutarou.

Suga and Chikara readily come to defense of their leader, summoning their flames to their weapons only to be confused when they barely flicker into existence.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Akaashi Keiji, Fukurodani’s second-in-command and Rain guardian calmly walks in in his leader’s wake, he has inconspicuously created a nullifying zone with his senbons around Suga and Chikara, stopping them from using their flames. Suga and Chikara are not helpless without their flames, but Bokuto has Daichi, staying their hand.

“Shitshitshit.” Daichi faintly hears from the other end of the still connected phone. He wants to tell Tsukishima to stay away, but he knows better than to look away in the face of danger.

Daichi doesn’t fight back, he remains calm and unresisting in Bokuto’s hold. His intuition tells him this is the best course of action.

“What. Did. You. Do?” Bokuto shakes Daichi roughly with every word.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Daichi has an idea, but he doesn’t want to jump into the wrong conclusion, lest he angers the Fukurodani further.

“Don’t fucking  _lie_  to me!” Bokuto yells into his face, shaking him  _hard_. “Kuroo tried to fix things with you and your family! And now he’s  _not_  picking up his phone, and his family’s  _gone_!”

“What. Did. You. Do,  _Sawamura_?” Bokuto speaks through gritted teeth, his eyes bright and wild, repeating the question. Daichi goes through every answer he can give, but every single one of them feel inadequate for this man who cares so much for Kuroo that he comes by himself to find out what happens to his best friend, that his rage and hate cannot quite cover his pain and grief that he all knows to well.

“I… fucked up, Bokuto. I  _fucked_  up.”

“…Explain.” Owl-like eyes narrow at the admission.

“We met in secret. Just six of us. Just two of us and two of our guardians. But we were attacked. Kuroo… Kuroo got hurt protecting me.” The grip tightens painfully at the mention of Kuroo getting hurt.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” Daichi cannot blame Bokuto for not believing him. They have no witnesses who can corroborate to their story besides Nekoma, who are not in position to; and circumstantial evidence that suggests an ambush and cover-up but doesn’t clear Karasuno from suspicion. Daichi takes a deep breath and meets Bokuto’s gaze head on.

“I swear on the life of my family that I’m not lying.”

The following stillness is wrought with tension. It feels like that they are teetering on the edge. No one dares to breathe, no one dares to move, not wanting to be the one to tip the balance.

Those strong, broad shoulders suddenly go slack, so does his grip on Daichi. Before he can register, Daichi has been put down on the floor. Bokuto appears calmer now, instead the enraged beast he was, but the danger doesn’t dissipate. His luminous eyes seem to bore deep into his soul, stripping him naked from any lies or pretenses. Daichi has nothing to hide, he raises his chin and straighten himself up, not fearing the other’s judgment.

“You’re the kind of man who’d live and die for his family. You won’t just throw out those words lightly.” Bokuto cocks his head, his eyes not blinking, the gesture eerily reminiscent of the owls Fukurodani is renowned of. “At least, that’s what Tetsu told me.” Daichi tries very hard not to visibly react, not only at the mention of Kuroo, but also at the intimate address of and the ringing endorsement from Kuroo. “I trust Tetsu’s judgment. Hinata and Tsukki won’t follow just anyone, either.”

It is such a blunt and honest statement, but it is also the very thing that nearly undoes Daichi: Bokuto’s strong and unwavering faith in Kuroo.

Regardless, Daichi doesn’t let himself falter and remains clear-headed enough to realize that Bokuto is withholding his own judgment. It is only because of Kuroo and his self-proclaimed proteges that stay his hand. He is still on thin ice.

“You’ve always been too soft, Kou-san.”

To his shock and horror, grey spikes suddenly sprout from the floor around his guardians. One particular sharp spike is terrifyingly close to the jugular, enough to draw blood. The spikes are arranged as such that neither Suga nor Chikara is able to move without risking themselves to bleeding to death.

"Suga! Chikara!"

Seeing his family in danger, in a matter of milliseconds, Daichi sinks deeper into hyper dying will state, his eyes and hands blazing with orange flames of the Sky, launching himself towards the Cloud user who  _dares_  to lay their hands on  _his_  family.

_"No! Sawamura!"_

Then Bokuto is there, catching both of his wrists in a strong grip, his own eyes and body are blazing with yellow flames of the Sun. The action alone is enough to stop Daichi in his tracks. Bokuto who is quick to defend his family with his body, who takes any slight against his family as well as Asahi, should be the last person to stop him. Daichi narrows his eyes, catching the underlying concern,  _for him_. Why is Bokuto so concerned for him for attacking this person?

Why? Who...?

When he looks beyond Bokuto's broad shoulders, getting the first glimpse on the intruder, Daichi promptly freezes as he registers their appearance.

Dark curly hair, dead fathomless eyes, two distinct moles and dark mask covering lower half of their face. The unmistakable yellow and black ensemble.

Sakusa Kiyoomi.

Sakusa Kiyoomi of  _Itachiyama_.

Also known as the Prince of the Underworld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the Prince of the Underworld... What are you getting into Daichi?


	6. Karasuno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karasuno receives uninvited and dangerous guests...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the part that I struggled most with and I hope it meets your expectation. The continuation to Karasuno's perspective. **Warning:** cursing, blood, and violence.

Japanese mafia is strongly based on feudal Japan where clans who were the vassals of the Emperor ruled over the lands assigned to them in the Emperor’s stead. Certain clans of the Emperor were given more lands and by extension, more power that they did not only rule over the lands and its people but also the smaller, weaker clans. The Empire of Japan and the Emperor were no more but the clans remained, weak and diminished they were, they survived by creating a world of their own: the underworld.  

By living in the shadows and on the wrong side of the law, in the beginning, their sphere of influence was limited to their hometowns where they were at the strongest. Naturally, these clans-turned-into-mafia-families sought to assert their dominance beyond their borders, beyond their homes, beyond their prefecture, and over Japan. It turned into an all-out war between the families. It was a matter of time until the darkness encroached the light. It no longer involved the mafia, it involved the civilians, and eventually the government. The mafia had grown as powerful as the government itself that the other's involvement ended up escalating the conflict. It was only until all sides suffered heavy losses, until an impasse was reached, that they decided to come to an arrangement in order that history would not be repeated by having a mafia council comprised of the representative of the most influential family in each prefecture that acts not only as a system of checks and balances of the mafia as a whole but also each other.

It doesn't mean that the families stop trying, it simply means that they are getting smarter and more careful in the attempt so most often the power struggle happens within the prefecture in order to gain the prestigious seat in the council, one of the ways to assert their dominance over Japan. The other way is to establish themselves in Tokyo, the capital of Japan and the center of the underworld. Naturally, this makes Tokyo-based families a target for those ambitious families. Tokyo has borne witness to the rise and fall of many families. However, there is one family who remains at the top throughout the decades, who is regarded as underworld's royalty for that near-impossible feat: Itachiyama.

It's likely because somehow generation after generation, Itachiyama managed to produce the strongest, the most skilled among their own. Little known how they accomplished it, other than they did it. Sakusa is among the youngest of their generation, and while he is not yet the boss—the current boss is still strongly established in the family and influential in the underworld—he has built a reputation of being untouchable, both figuratively and literally. He always escapes every fight unscathed, appearance inconceivably clean and pristine. He is considered among the strongest of their generation, along with Bokuto of Fukurodani and Kiryuu of Umesaki. He is also averse to touch, as seen from how completely he is covered from head to toe. It speaks of his prowess that he doesn't need to be close to take his enemies down.  

Daichi did suspect that whoever the intruder is extremely dangerous. It takes proficient skill and masterful use of the flames for anyone to catch two mafia bosses completely off guard—admittedly, their singular focus on each other did play a part, but they were still aware of their surroundings. When he finds out that it is  _Sakusa_ , the heir of Itachiyama, he is inordinately glad that Bokuto stops him. It is no longer Suga and Chikara's life on the line, but it is his entire family. He has to tread carefully, especially when he notices Sakusa is not alone. Another man in Itachiyama's colors is standing guard by the door, most likely the reason why they can enter the highly-secured compound undetected. Sakusa is not particularly known for his subtlety.

Bokuto gives him the slightest of nods, confirming the predicament he and his family is in. For all his bright and cheery attitude, his clueless and dense display, the Fukurodani boss can be unerringly perceptive when it comes to people. Daichi slowly, carefully resumes neutral stance, putting himself less as a threat, an action to which Bokuto and Akaashi—who has positioned himself between his boss and Itachiyama—show their approval of before they both turn around putting their backs towards Daichi and his immobilized guardians. They are protecting Karasuno, Daichi notes in surprise.

“Kiyoomi. Why are you here?” Bokuto addresses Sakusa,  _by name_. From the corner of his eye, Daichi catches a flash of emotion crossing the impassive face of Fukurodani’s second.

“For the same reason that you are here, Koutarou.” The closest to a royalty of Japanese mafia waltzes into his office as though he owns the place, not only barely reacting to the familiar way Bokuto acts towards him but also  _returning the sentiment_. In the mafia, addressing each other by the first name is the greatest display of trust and respect, a gesture that is rarely granted to another from a different family who is not an ally.

“ _What. The. Fuck_.” Daichi can hear Suga mutter quietly but fervently next to him, mirroring his own disbelief. Bokuto Koutarou  _and_  Sakusa Kiyoomi. Fukurodani  _and_  Itachiyama.  

Their rivalry is well known, but it is comparably more civil than that of Seijou and Shiratorizawa. Cunning Nekoma and Nohebi run counterpoint to the powerhouses that Fukurodani and Itachiyama are to maintain the peace in Tokyo. The four families—or the diamond as they are called—are the reason why Tokyo does not fall into chaos, and by extension, Japan. They are the highest order in Tokyo, despite their lack of position in the council. The members of the diamond change through the years, all but two, Itachiyama and Nekoma. Regardless, the four of them are _not_  allies. All they have is the unspoken agreement that stability comes first. It is only for that reason they have relatively good relationship with each other. Fukurodani and Itachiyama often get into power plays, while Nekoma and Nohebi into mind games.

Or it is what the mafia make themselves believe.

Because if the four families entered a formal alliance, with the strength of Itachiyama and Fukurodani, and the cunning of Nekoma and Nohebi, they would be nigh invincible.

Daichi is certain though, that the animosity between the four is not feigned, having seen it firsthand and heard secondhand as it is from Kuroo. Only between Nekoma and Fukurodani the animosity is almost non-existent. That alone gains both families heavy scrutiny and wariness from the rest of the mafia. Daichi feels like he is missing something obvious.  

Bokuto and Sakusa are staring each other down, as though they have a conversation of their own. It feels like an eternity before Bokuto steps aside, giving way to Sakusa. Daichi doesn't show his alarm and stands his ground, watching the Itachiyama approach. Sakusa is of the same height, no, he actually is taller than Bokuto, but he is lean where Bokuto is bulky. He actually reminds him more of Kuroo. The thought actually sparks something in his mind, but before it can form, Sakusa is already in front of him.

"Sawamura Daichi."

"Sakusa Kiyoomi." They exchange greetings as though they are in another mafia functions, as though his family's life is not on the line.

"You've sworn by your family's life, Karasuno. So, by the life of your family I hold in my hands, I want nothing, nothing but the truth." Sakusa's dark, bottomless eyes threaten to suck his soul dry. It is only due to his strength of his will and the light of his fire he manages to deny the pull.  

"Where is  _he_? Where is Tetsu-san?" Sakusa hisses, low and angry. "What happened to him and Nekoma?"

… Tetsu... san?

Respect and intimacy in a single address, reserved only for the closest friends and family of Nekoma. Kuroo never mentioned or gave the slightest hint of being acquainted with the Prince of Underworld. He spoke of him like he spoke of other mafia figures whenever Itachiyama or its heir was mentioned. There was no warmth or familiarity, no attempt to introduce them, to get Daichi to know them as Kuroo's wont when he talked about his friends and family.

But...

_Daichi couldn’t help the frown on his face as he watched Kuroo take the call. He had been looking forward to their leader-to-leader meeting after months without, and it already felt far too long to Daichi despite the regular contact they maintained, but nothing could replace meeting each other in person and being around the person who understood each other best. It was the time when they could leave all their duties and responsibilities behind even for a moment. It was the time to_ breathe _and to simply_ be _. It was the only time meant for only the two of them, no one else, not even their family. They knew not to disturb them unless something they truly couldn't handle on their own came up._

_That was why Daichi usually didn't bat an eye when Kuroo took calls in their meeting, knowing and respecting his rule. However, he couldn't help but notice there were some calls that didn't appear to be urgent in nature. Daichi had learned to tune out Kuroo when he took the private calls out of respect and trust displayed that Kuroo felt no need to excuse himself to do so in front of Daichi. Still, he couldn't help catching this oddity despite not listening in to the conversation. He might not catch any words, but he did catch the warmth and teasing in Kuroo's tone. It was a tone Daichi was familiar with, reserved for the closest friends and family, but most of those people should have known not to call during this time. It could have been Bokuto, as he had been the usual suspect and frequent offender, but the lack of loud and boisterous voice crossed out that possibility._

_What was unusual though, Kuroo must have picked Daichi's curiosity immediately, but he made no attempt to satisfy it and simply threw him that wouldn't-you-like-to-know that got under his skin like nothing else did, enough to get him sidetracked until it happened again. Daichi tried not to be annoyed. They still had things they kept from each other, and they respected each other's decision. However, the care and attention Kuroo gave to whoever on the other end of the phone made something ugly twist and writhe in his chest in spite of his best attempts to smother it. The familiar address he caught Kuroo used to the other person didn't help. It had been a frequent occurrence lately, this ugly feeling, and Daichi didn't know how to deal with it, so he dealt it the only way he could: by ignoring it._

_In which Daichi failed spectacularly because he was dealing with one of the most, if not the most, perceptive people he knew. Kuroo leaned his cheek on the propped fist by his side, eyebrow raised and eyes narrowed in challenge._

_"Are you_ jealous _, Sawamura?" The Nekoma drawled, sly, taunting smirk curling his lips._

_"What? Why should I be?" Daichi snapped back defensively, willing for the heat not to rise on his cheeks, not certain whether it was out of anger or of something else. There was a quiet, thoughtful hum from the Nekoma as his sharp golden eyes roamed over Daichi, and he willed himself not to react as he had nothing to be guilty of._

_"That's Kiyo-kun." Daichi blinked in surprise, not expecting a straightforward answer from Kuroo._

_"I’d like to introduce you to Kiyo-kun sometime, but he’s had enough of having strangers shoved at him. I’ll talk you up to him and hopefully, he’ll be interested in meeting you." In just a few words, Kuroo managed to strike into the heart of the matter and ease the worries he didn't know he had. He felt foolish for his reaction, especially recognizing the display of trust as it was so he didn't question Kuroo any further._

Kiyo-kun. Tetsu-san. Kiyoomi. Koutarou. Itachiyama. Fukurodani. Nekoma. They are all pieces of the puzzle.

A flash of emotion crossing Akaashi’s features. It was surprise. Another piece.

_“I’d like to introduce you to Kiyo-kun sometime, but he’s had enough of having strangers shoved at him.”_

Kuroo. The last piece of the puzzle.

All the pieces finally fall together, painting a clear, vivid picture in his mind.

Kuroo who pokes and prods but also knows when to stop. Kuroo who talks about everything and nothing but speaks louder in silence. Kuroo whose presence is both intimidating and comforting in turns. Kuroo who lies and deceives but truthful when it matters most. Kuroo who is capable of kindness and compassion as much as coldness and ruthlessness. Kuroo who never judges, never demands what others not willing to give. Kuroo who takes in the lost, the broken and the lonely.

These men standing before him are not simply Kuroo’s friends. They are his  _brothers_.

They are not here as the boss of Fukurodani, or as the heir to Itachiyama empire. 

They are here for Kuroo.

They are not the enemy.

At the realization, Daichi feels his flames settle into stillness.

“I do not know where Kuroo is.” His voice is calm and steady. “I do not know what happens to Kuroo and to Nekoma.” His gaze meets the prince’s unflinchingly. “But I do know that I was the one to blame.” Daichi ignores the sharp intakes of breath from his guardians. “I was the one who put the rift between us, between Karasuno and Nekoma. And they took advantage of it.”

“They?” Sakusa repeats the word slowly, disbelievingly. Daichi doesn’t blame him, it would seem he was taking the cowards’ way out by putting the blame on others.

“One week ago, at three in the afternoon, Kuroo and I with our two chosen guardians met up in Kanazawa Port in Ishikawa to discuss the meeting between our families. The area was sterile, cleared and vouched for before our arrival. The knowledge of the meeting was kept within the inner circle. However, an hour to the meeting, we sensed a disturbance. We were attacked.

“We are not talking a random attack with a number of people. We are talking about an attack that would have caught us off guard if we didn’t see it coming and completely destroyed our meeting place. We are talking about an attack that was strong and massive enough that it separated us and kept us separated with another wave of attack that followed. We are talking an attack, a large-scale and meticulously planned  _ambush_ , that our only option was to escape.” The Fukurodani and Itachiyama members blink in surprise.

“There’s no word about Kanazawa or Ishikawa, is there?” Bokuto glances at Akaashi for confirmation, to which his second only shakes his head in response.

“Why would there be any? Not another hour later, when we sent men to check, there was nothing left of the ambush.” Daichi shrugs lightly, but none of them are buying the attempt at nonchalance.  

“…What you’re suggesting is a massive cover-up.” The other Itachiyama that can only be Komori Motoya, the future Storm guardian, speaks up.  

“But not impossible.” With the flames, nothing is really impossible, and the underworld has an abundance of flame users. With their constant brush with death, the mafia has a better chance than most to activate their dying will flames, although not everyone has the latent ability. It is why the families try their best to cultivate that ability by keeping it in the family whether through marriage or similar binding contract. But what Komori isn’t saying, what the rest of them aren’t saying, that that kind of cover-up following such attack can be done by powerful people, by a powerful  _family_ , and  _their_  family can be considered one.

“What are you insinuating, Karasuno?” Sakusa steps forward, looming over Daichi threateningly but he is not intimidated, calmly staring back at the other.

“You’re not the boss of Itachiyama, Sakusa. Can you say for certain that your family is not involved?” Sakusa’s eyes narrow at the accusation.

“Can you even prove your words? For all we know you’re just spouting nonsense. Trying to shift the blame on a nonexistent enemy when we all know who’s to blame.” The venom in those words is unmistakable.

Daichi has seen this coming and he has made his decision long before.

“Tsukishima.”

There is a brief moment of tense silence before the speaker crackles to life, taking everyone by surprise. “Yessir.” Tsukishima’s response is curt and carefully controlled. He knows better than anyone else, having been listening in how dangerous the situation they are currently in with most of the guardians out and those who remain are not much use with life hanging in balance and against two of the most fearsome fighters in the mafia.

“Bring everything we have related to the ambush. The originals, not the copies.” Daichi can hear the disbelief in the silence, but Tsukishima has learned to pick his battles.

“Yes, Sir.”

“If you don’t mind waiting, Tsukishima will come in shortly with everything we have gathered about the ambush.” Daichi returns his attention to his uninvited guests.

“You said there was nothing left of the ambush,” Akaashi speaks up, eyeing Daichi shrewdly.

“We didn’t only send men to check an hour of the ambush, we sent them right after before cleanup likely went underway.”

There is nothing left to say after that. Time passes by so slowly, the seconds feel like minutes, the minutes feel like hours. They are at an impasse. However, Daichi has no illusion that it will easily end if he does as much as to twitch. He maintains his calm through his connection with his and his guardians’ flames, deriving comfort from their presence. Two of them are in danger and other two are soon to be, but they are all alive. When there is life, there is hope. Daichi can still see a way to solve this peacefully.  

Knocks can be heard on the door to the office. “This is Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. We are with all the evidence and reports as ordered.”

“There are two of them,” Sakusa throws a flat look at him. With the mask covering his lower face, Sakusa can be hard to read, but not for a Sky and their intuition.

“There’s much we have gathered that one person cannot carry them all. I can order one of them to leave if you’d prefer.” Daichi offers, but Sakusa remains unimpressed.

“Let them in, Kiyoomi.” The command surprisingly comes from Bokuto. “They won’t do anything. I won’t let them.”

“Fine. Motoya.” At his word, Komori opens the door to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who have their hands full, proving his point. They walk carefully into the office, taking in the situation discreetly. Daichi doesn’t fail to notice their alarm at the sight of their trapped comrades, but they hide it well.  

“Where do you want this?” Tsukishima admirably takes charge with his usual composure. Daichi keeps quiet, giving a slight nod to Sakusa that it is his choice.

“Just put it on the table.” The Itachiyama heir gestures towards the heavy wooden desk in irritation. Daichi sends waves of calm and reassurance to his young guardians through their bond as they pass him to lay down all of the evidence and reports. Taking a quick glance, he sees that Tsukishima does not only follow his orders but also accomplishes it in a short time. Daichi steps aside, giving the guests free reign, all but Komori who resumes his position by the door, the most strategic position in the room, while Tsukishima and Yamaguchi follow his example.

“What bullets are these? I’ve never seen them before.” All Karasuno go still when Bokuto brings the bag of bullets up to his line of sight, squinting at them in puzzlement, but only Daichi who notices how the mafia prince stiffens. Thus, he is not surprised when Sakusa snatches the bag forcefully, earning him a loud “Hey!”

“…Where do you get this?” His voice is low, dangerous. Despite the threat hanging between them, Daichi is unmoved.

“From the sniper targeting us.” Those dark eyes flash at the mention of us. Daichi is prepared for Sakusa to lash out if it isn’t for Bokuto putting himself between him and Sakusa. Akaashi is standing close by, tense and ready with his senbons sliding into the gaps of his fingers, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are doing the same with the smaller, modified version of their main weapon.  

There is wildness in Sakusa that wasn’t there before, no, Daichi corrects himself, it has always been there, right under the surface, ready to rise at his command. It is a quality that is shared among Cloud flame wielders, that wildness. It is what makes them dangerous, their unwillingness to be controlled, to conform. They are more beast than man, more instinct than logic. It is why it is rare for a family to have a Cloud guardian, rarer for a family to have a Cloud as their leader. Many have thought that Itachiyama is crazy for their choice of heir, it doesn’t help that Sakusa shows the typical characteristic of a Cloud, if not worse. But now, having the man himself standing before him, Daichi understands why Itachiyama chose Sakusa. There is nothing more dangerous than a man who can easily toe the line between beast and man, who blurs the line. He is both, and he is neither.

It takes all of Daichi not to respond the danger Sakusa emanated. His eyes are bright and alert, replacing his hollow gaze. His posture has straightened, losing that slouch. A lesser man would have quaked in fear, but he is no lesser man. He is a Sky boss to two Cloud guardians. He knows how to deal with a Cloud user, mafia royalty or no. He doesn’t flinch or look away, he stands his ground and raises his chin, showing no weakness.  

“Kiyoomi, what are they?” Either he has no fear or simply oblivious, Bokuto treats Sakusa no differently… because he’s responding not to Sakusa’s reaction, but to the cause of it.

“ _This?_  This is  _Cloud fragmented bullet._ ”

Daichi knows the moment the information sinks in. He wishes he can close his eyes and pretend he cannot see the way those bright eyes dim, that expressive face loses its smile, and that large frame droops. Bokuto turns around in agonizing slowness, meeting his gaze.  

“…you told me Tetsu got hurt protecting you.” Those tawny eyes are wide and fearful, they are begging, pleading. “Please tell me he doesn’t get hit by this.”

Daichi is at loss of words. He can only stare back, but it is enough for Bokuto to send him into a panicked frenzy.

“It must have just clipped him. It must have, right, Akaashi?” Bokuto whips around, trying to find reassurance in his right-hand man whose attention is not for once on the man he swears loyalty to, but instead on a familiar jacket, Daichi’s  _blood-stained_  jacket.  

“Sawamura-san.” Akaashi lifts up the jacket, angling the back so that the stain is visible on the dark fabric. “Is this the jacket you’ve been wearing? Is the blood… Kuroo-san’s?”

“Kuroo… saw the sniper before I did” is all he manages to say, the words torn out him, scraping his throat raw and painful at the acknowledgment, at the implication. From the placement of the stain, they know that Kuroo used his body as a shield from the bullet, which didn’t merely clip him, it  _wounded_  him.

_No one survives Cloud fragmented bullet._

Daichi can tell them that the last he saw of Kuroo, he was walking on his own power, and he had Yaku and Kai with him, Sun and Rain, healer and nullifier respectively. He might have a chance with those two. However, would it be a kindness or cruelty to give hope when there is no evidence to show?

Cold, derisive laughter pierces the tense silence. The unexpected sound comes from Sakusa whose head thrown back, hand covering his eyes as though he finds something deeply amusing, but when the laughter dies down, the eyes looking through the gaps of his fingers are anything but amused.

“So much for the legendary Karasuno intuition,” Sakusa sneers. “You can’t even react quickly enough that Tetsu-san has to protect you.” Daichi feels his composure crack at the well-aimed barbs. The Itachiyama slips his hands into his pockets, stalking leisurely towards Daichi.

“What does Tetsu-san see in you that he willingly throws his life for you? What have you done to earn that kind of loyalty?” Sakusa slouches down so he can maintain eye contact as he circles around Daichi like a predator around its prey. Daichi starts to falter, his hands curling unconsciously with every question thrown at him. “When you’re the very reason why you’re in this situation in the first place.” His nails dig painfully into his palm at that.

“And you know it, don’t you?” That last remark makes Daichi bite down the inside of his mouth so hard that it bleeds.

“Regardless who the sniper is, or who hires him, you might as well pull the trigger yourself.”

“That’s not true!” Suga speaks out to defend Daichi, a move of which he pays for dearly as the spike lengthens, slicing his neck, blood spilling from the cut which he cannot put a stop on with how his limbs are imprisoned.

“No, Suga!” Before Daichi can even do anything, he feels something akin to punch to his back and pain ripping through his chest. When he looks down, it is to find the sharp, bloody end of a grey, solid material piercing through him. Faintly he notices it is the same area where Kuroo took the bullet for him. It cannot be a coincidence. He looks up and ends up face-to-face with Sakusa.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t end you right here and now.”

Daichi is faintly aware of Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s fighting back, Akaashi trying to de-escalate the situation between the remaining Itachiyama and the younger guardians, and Bokuto using his Sun flames to stop Suga from bleeding out, but all his attention is on Sakusa.

There are so many reasons Daichi can give Sakusa. He can give him the most logical reasons, such as Karasuno knows Nekoma best, being their oldest and main ally to Karasuno is as much a target as Nekoma, giving them the best chance to lure their enemy out. But...

That’s not what Sakusa seeks... that’s not what Bokuto seeks either... Because while he is not attacking Karasuno, he is not stopping Sakusa. He is waiting for his answer as much as Sakusa is. The answer they seek needs to be true, personal.

There is one. There is one truth he holds close to his heart, one truth he has only come to terms with, and one truth he is not ready to speak out loud, because it will make everything real. That he has ruined the best thing in his life because of his own foolishness.

It would be so easy,  it would be so easy to submit to Sakusa’s judgment...

_Tetsu..._

“Because I love him.“ Sakusa’s eyes widen in surprise, completely taken aback. However, Daichi finds no satisfaction, only deep well of sadness and grief. “Because I love him and yet all I’ve done is hurt him and failed him when he needed me the most. And now I might lose my chance to make things right. All that’s left for me is to find whoever behind this and make them  _pay_.”

All the fighters come to an abrupt halt as they find themselves buckle at the heavy pressure bearing down on them. It takes Daichi a millisecond to realize that the bloodlust comes from  _him_. All the rage, the guilt, the sadness, the grief, the hatred he has tried to push down can no longer be contained, burning hot and bright in his chest.

“That’s all I ask. Let me make sure no more threat left for Nekoma. Only then I would take any punishment you give me.” Daichi pauses. “Let this only between us, not between our families. Let this only between me and you and Bokuto as his brothers. Please leave my family out of this.”

Daichi is not above begging for his family. He doesn’t want them to pay for his mistakes, not when their only mistake is to put their trust and loyalty to him, to him who has led them astray. He will take whatever punishment Sakusa and Bokuto give him. He will not fight them, but only if his family is safe.

Sakusa narrows his eyes down at Daichi, his dark gaze piercing. Then without warning, the Cloud spike retracts, making him fall to his knees with his hands on his chest, trying futilely to stop the bleeding, gasping for breath. He can barely hear the fearful cries of his family.

“Koutarou.“ Before Sakusa completes the sentence, Bokuto already reaches Daichi’s side on his knees, his large hands glowing yellow on top of the entry and exit wound. Sakusa looms over them.

“As an insurance, I left some souvenir for you. If you break your word, I can easily tear you from the inside out. So is any attempt to remove it,“ he glances at the Karasuno guardians around the room meaningfully. Chikara is kneeling next to Suga, supporting the bloodless Lightning guardian. Yamaguchi is standing guard over the two while Tsukishima is facing both Akaashi and Komori who are standing between him and their leader. Sakusa turns around, making a move to leave.

“I’ll be taking the evidence. Motoya.“ His right-hand man takes out a small box out of his pocket which is easily enlarged by the flames, enough to put all the evidence in and once again returned to its original size with another burn of flames. The two Itachiyama walk unimpeded towards the door, but before he takes another step out of the door, Sakusa glances back, staring straight at Daichi.

“Don’t make me regret this Karasuno.“ And then they are gone without a trace, the same way they came in.

Daichi looks down to his chest, Bokuto has completely healed the stab wound, leaving only the torn shirt and jacket as the evidence of what happened. No, it isn’t the sole evidence, when he breathes in, he can feel a weight in his chest, as though a bullet lodged in it. A reminder.

“Do you mean it?“ Daichi looks up to find Bokuto watching him closely. His voice is quiet and somber.

“Yes.“

“Then you will have Fukurodani’s help. I give you my word.“

“Thank you.“ Daichi is truly grateful, not only for the help but also for the presence of someone who loves Kuroo as much as he does, and family who wants justice for Nekoma as much as his family do. The task ahead seems less daunting.

_I swear to you Tetsu, we’ll make them pay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things take darker turn... Stakes are raised... Will they come out unscathed?

**Author's Note:**

> It's initially intended only for my tumblr. But since I have lot of ideas of this AU, and there seems to be some interest on this, I decide to post it in both tumblr and AO3. Tell me what you think about it!


End file.
